Wellington To Run Two Marathons, Cycle 1000km For Charity

Four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington will run in both the Paris and London Marathons and cycle 1000km as part of a Jane Tomlinson Appeal challenge. To clear up any confusion about her intentions on the start lines of the marathons, Wellington tweeted: “And to quash any rumours! This is a team challenge for charity. I will not racing the marathons or attempting to set a personal best time!”

RELATED: Chrissie Wellington To Take Break From Ironman

See the announcement from Janetomlinsonappeal.com below:

It will come as no surprise to hear that four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington has taken on a new type of challenge for 2012. Having decided to take a rest from competing in Ironman this year Chrissie will be putting her power behind the Jane Tomlinson Appeal as part of their 10th Anniversary.

Setting off on April 15, Chrissie will join Mike and Rebecca Tomlinson as they set off on an eight-day challenge that will eclipse any challenge the Appeal has set since Jane’s death in 2007.

Not satisfied with one marathon the team will take part in both the Paris and London marathons with six days of cycling thrown in between for good measure.

With the 2012 London Marathon marking the 10th Anniversary of Jane Tomlinson running the marathon for the first time the Tomlinson family have chosen to follow in Jane’s endurance challenge footsteps this year. Jane defied the odds and public perception of cancer taking on an array of serious endurance events in order to raise over £1.85million for charity. As the first terminally ill breast cancer patient to take complete the London Marathon, Jane confronted what to many seemed impossible.

Having completed the Paris Marathon, Chrissie will join Mike, Rebecca and team as they cycle back to the charities home turf of Yorkshire as they cross the channel from Zeebrugge to Hull before setting off on a two-day tour of Yorkshire on route to the capital.

Mike Tomlinson said: “It’s an enormous pleasure for us as a family to welcome Chrissie to the 10th anniversary challenge. The enthusiasm and attitude Chrissie shows not only in competing but in other aspects of her life strongly resembles Jane philosophies. It says much about her that despite an enormously busy schedule she’s happy to take on two marathons and six days of cycling, I just hope she’s not expecting me to keep up!”

Having been a patron of the Jane Tomlinson Appeal since 2010 Chrissie has helped raised significant sums of money for the Appeal and has recently hosted Run with Chrissie events in both Leeds and London in aid of the Appeal.

Chrissie said: “I am so incredibly honoured to be a Patron of Jane’s Appeal and this amazing challenge is a once in a lifetime opportunity to combine my masochistic love for endurance challenges with the ability to raise awareness and funds for an amazing and incredibly worthwhile cause. I can’t think of anything better! And the other Challenge team members can rest assured, I won’t be trying to set new personal best times. I want to complete and not compete!”

Read more at Janetomlinsonappeal.com.